Help! Getting locked out of 3rd gear

Benchracer

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Anybody got an idea why my transmission would be locking me out of 3rd at the track? It only does it on occasion but it seems to do it more frequently when Im spraying nitrous. Shifts perfectly smooth during regular driving. Its like there is a wall there and I have to fight for several seconds with it before it either goes or I just give up. I have put the redline fluid in the trans and installed the barton shifter bracket in hopes of fixing this issue but no luck. People at the track tell me my brake lights come on when it happens as well. I turn the traction control off as well as the stability control before every run and I have unplugged the skip shift solenoid as well. If anybody can help me figure this out I would greatly appreciate it.
 

shadowstang03gt

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u sure your not pushing down the shifter handle? I have found a lot of people pushing down on the shifter. It will cause u to miss gates. the brake light thing makes zero sense
 

Benchracer

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I thought I might have been pushing the shifter down too so I started pushing the shifter forward with my hand on the bottom half of the shift knob. Still no luck. I agree with the brake lights coming on making no sense but several people told me this and I had a friend with a mach1 that said he had the same problem and people told him his brake lights would come on too.
 

mustang_guy

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When I test drove a 2012 GT and Boss when driving easy from a stop it would say shift 1-4 and it seemed like one of the times it locked 2nd and put me into 4th. Anyone know if this is a feature these cars have and if this might have something to do with locking out gears?
 

yellowrubiu

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When I test drove a 2012 GT and Boss when driving easy from a stop it would say shift 1-4 and it seemed like one of the times it locked 2nd and put me into 4th. Anyone know if this is a feature these cars have and if this might have something to do with locking out gears?

That's just the pesky skip shift feature. Shift above 3K rpms and you'll rarely have to deal with it.
 

92hatchlx

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I have had this happen multiple times at the track. I have been told that it is the poor design of that rubber shifter bracket that can cause this. Aftermarket bracket or MGW shifter should be able to fix this. It's a real PITA. As far as your brake lights coming on, it would make sense I guess if you had the advancetrac on because I believe it uses the brakes in conjuction with some other things if it feels like your car is losing traction or stepping out too far to the side. Just an idea though...
 

BlackMamba3

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Make sure the AdvanceTrac system is completely turned off. Also, order a MGW shifter assembly. Leaps and bounds better than just the Barton bracket.

+1 for the Redline MTL.

Finally, I'd get a tune that removes skip shift completely. It's such a dumb idea in my opinion.
 

Benchracer

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Make sure the AdvanceTrac system is completely turned off. Also, order a MGW shifter assembly. Leaps and bounds better than just the Barton bracket.

+1 for the Redline MTL.

Finally, I'd get a tune that removes skip shift completely. It's such a dumb idea in my opinion.

Advance trak was definately off. I got the redline MTL and the skip shift solenoid unplugged. I am gonna buy the MGW shifter and if that dont work Im just gonna give up. lol.
 

BlackMamba3

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Yes. A tune can remove skip shift.

Are you sure AdvanceTrac was ALL THE WAY off? Complete stop, press down brake pedal and hold down button for 5-7 seconds and the screen reads: AdvanceTrac Off.
 

96svtdriver

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Anybody got an idea why my transmission would be locking me out of 3rd at the track? It only does it on occasion but it seems to do it more frequently when Im spraying nitrous. Shifts perfectly smooth during regular driving. Its like there is a wall there and I have to fight for several seconds with it before it either goes or I just give up. I have put the redline fluid in the trans and installed the barton shifter bracket in hopes of fixing this issue but no luck. People at the track tell me my brake lights come on when it happens as well.

This could be just my electrical background speaking, but the whole random brake lights thing on the track could be a faulty relay or a short in the wiring somewhere that's causing a closed circuit condition for the tails when it's not supposed to.
 
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Benchracer

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Yes. A tune can remove skip shift.

Are you sure AdvanceTrac was ALL THE WAY off? Complete stop, press down brake pedal and hold down button for 5-7 seconds and the screen reads: AdvanceTrac Off.

Yes sir. I hold the brake and then hold the button til it says "advancetrac off" on my cluster. I do this every time I start my car in the staging lanes.
 

92hatchlx

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This could be just my electrical background speaking, but the whole random brake lights thing on the track could be a faulty relay or a short in the wiring somewhere that's causing a closed circuit condition for the tails when it's not supposed to.

It's just strange that he can't replicate it any other time. I would have to see videos of his brake lights coming on while this is happening to believe it %100.
 

Benchracer

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It's just strange that he can't replicate it any other time. I would have to see videos of his brake lights coming on while this is happening to believe it %100.

I got a video that I will post when I get home. Its a little hard to see because it was taken from the stands but Im pretty sure you can tell.
 

cbaty08

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OP, I think it might just be the nature of SOME of these beats; I am on my 3rd tranny that has observed this and even though I can reproduce it all the time, the FSE wrote down unable to reproduce and I am now having to sue Ford for this.

I went though the TSB fuid swap, JHR shifter and bracket, and the steel-braided clutch line.... none of them cured anything.

I wish you luck and am curious for your outcome.
 

Chuck@Evolution

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Brake lights are probably pretty easy to explain.

Trying to shift into next gear, hit clutch and shift. Let of clutch and realize that missed the gear so hit clutch again but in doing so hit the brake pedal. Easy enough to do especially when you flustered and or have big ass feet like me :)
 

Benchracer

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Brake lights are probably pretty easy to explain.

Trying to shift into next gear, hit clutch and shift. Let of clutch and realize that missed the gear so hit clutch again but in doing so hit the brake pedal. Easy enough to do especially when you flustered and or have big ass feet like me :)

I can see that happening but definately not the case here. lol. I know I didnt because when people told me this was happening, I paid closer attention to what I was doing. Im more concerned about it not going into gear though. Seems as if I find the resolution to this issue, the other will dissapear with it.
 

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